Stock-releasing device



J. HILL.

STOCK RELEASING DEVICE.

3 SHE S-SHEET I.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-31.1915- 7 1,307,355 Patented June 24, 1919.

J. HILL.

STOCK RELEASING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-31 I918- 1 1,307,355. I Patented June 24, 1919.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

J, HILL.

STOCK RELEASING DEVICE.

AP LICATION FILED A uG.31, 1918. v u

- Patented J 11110 24;, 191$).

'vented devices for this purpose JOHN HILL, 0F WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

STOCK-RELEASING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 24., 1919.

Application filed August 31, 1918. Serial No. 252,134.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, JOHN HILL, a citizen ofFinland, residing at Worcester, in the county of Worcester and State ofMassachusetts, have invented a new and useful Stock-Releasing Device, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a device for releasing stock from a barn orthe like, and the principal objects thereof are to improve this type ofapparatus in such a manner as to avoid the difiiculties which haveprebeing put into practical use heretofore; to provide means whereby thestock will be released from their stalls in case of fire; to provide aweight for operating the releasing evices at the stalls and door which,instead of hanging so as to exert a pull thereon all the time or a pullon the destructible cord which frees it, will be held niechanically inits raised position under all ordinary conditions and will not put anystrain on any of its connections until it is released by fire. In thisway the flexible connections are relieved of all abnormal strainthroughout the period when they are in a state of rest and theirdurability greatly increased. The invention also involves means by whichthe device can be set off by hand eitherfor testing purposes or in casesof emergency, and details of construction as will appear hereinafter.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 isan elevation of one wall of a barn showing a preferred embodiment ofthis invention applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a plan of the connections under the roof for setting off thedevice in case of fire;

F 3 is aside elevation of the operating weight and its supportingmechanism on I enlarged scale;

4 is a similar view of the front thereof looking in the direction of thearrow 4 in Fig. 3 and showing in dotted lines the position of the partswhen the latch is released to drop the operating weight;

Fig. 5 isa front view of a releasing device for the stock;

Fig. 6 is a side view of the same;

Fig. 7 is a plan of one element thereof;

Fig. 8 is a rear elevation of the door of Fig.

the stable showing its connection with this apparatus;

Fig. 9 is a view of a modified form of individual stock releasingdevice;

Fig. 10 is a view of the destructible connection, and

Fig. 11 is a view of a modification.

The invention is shown as applied to a stock barn or stable, and asprovided with an operating weight 10 which is normally held up inelevated position and which when released so as to drop on a stand 11will release the stock and open a door or doors.

For the purpose of holding up this weight, it is shown as located in acasing 12 in an elevated position in the stable and provided with apivoted bottom 13 on which the weight rests when the parts are not inoperation. This pivoted bottom may be in the form of a bar extendingacross the bottom of the casing which is suflicient to hold up theweight. The casing is provided with a lug 1 1 on which is pivoted alatch 15. This latch is provided with a horizontal surface 16 adapted tosupport the free end of the bar 13 between two projections 17 extendingfrom the lug 14:. These projections are provided for accurately holdingthe bar against side motion. The horizontal surface 16 is locateddirectly below the pivot 18 on which the latch 15 swings. onsequentlywhen the bar 13 is raised between the projections 17 and the latch 15swings over into the position shown in Fig. 3 in full lines, the latchwill be held in that position by gravity.

The latch is shown as provided with two projections 19 and 20 extendingin different directions from it. A pull upwardly on the end of theprojection 19 or to the right on the end of the projection 20 will swingthe latch, release the rod 13, and drop the weight 10. The projection 19normally holds the latch in, and returns it to, operative position bygravity.

1 will now describe the connections by which the latch 15 can bereleased referring first to the projection 19. This is provided with aflexible connection 21 which can be made of any material notdestructible by heat or fire, but I prefer to make it of twisted wirewhich in itself is strong enough to resist the action of any ordinaryfire.

This flexible connection 21 passes over pulthese pulleys.

wall, it is to leys located in various places and is divided 'into twodestructible strands 22 and 23. The strands, when they pass over thepulleys preferably are connected by metal buttons 28. These two strandsare substantially alike as shown, although they may go to verydifi'erent parts of the building, but I have shown them both as dividedand extending up under the roof and passing back and forth over pulleysso that they are located at short distances apart and in case of firethat affects the roof, some one of them will necessarily be destroyed atsome point.

It is to be noted that each of these strands 22 and 23 is furtherdivided and each half 29 passes over one of the two pulleys 24 and theother half 29 passes over the other of this pair of pulleys, and thatthese two halves extend in opposite directions from Up to these pulleys24 they are indestructible, but beyond them the twisted wire of whichthe strands 29 are formed is in short lengths connected together, byscrew buttons 26 to facilitate installation and replacement. Each lengthbetween buttons is made up of two or more pieces of wire as shown inFig. 10, soldered togther at intervals by solder 27 melting at atemperature above 100 degrees F and below any temperature likely to beattained in any stable which catches fire.

On the end of each of these strands 29 is a weight 25. These weights 25are all alike, and consequently under normal conditions the two weightson the ends of each of the halves 29 of the wire 22 will hold this inwhat I call balanced condition, but if one of these halves is broken itsweight will drop and the other weight 25 will then pull the cord 22along its course and thus pull up on the arm 19. The same of course, istrue of the flexible connection 23. It will be seen from this that it isthe strand thatremains intact that operates the lever and not the onethat is broken or destroyed. This principle I have employed throughout,because it makes a positive acting device and does not necessitate theholding of the weight 10 by means of these destructible connections 29or the like.

On the lower arm 20 a similar device is provided as two flexibleindestructible con nections 31 and 32 are shown passing over two pulleys33 located adjacent to each other and extending in opposite directionsfrom these pulleys. The strand 31 is further divided where it passesunder two pulleys 34 and its opposite destructible strands as 35 passaround the barn in any desired path over pulleys so as to provide partslocated near enough together so that any fire along the walls willdestroy or break one of them. Although I have shown these on only one beunderstood that preferably connection 51 is they extend all around thebarn. On the end each of these strands 35 is provided with a weight 36,and, as in the roof construction, when one of these strands breaks, itsweight 36 drops and has no further effect, but the other weight 36 isthen free to descend, no longer being counterbalanced by the oppositeweight, and it will pull the strand along and pull on the arm 20 andthen release the latch. The other flexible connection 32 is also dividedand passes over two pulleys 38. Its destructible ends are provided withweights 39 or the like which are provided with cords having rings 49arranged in some convenient position so that an attendant can pull uponthem in case of emergency, or for the purpose of testing the device inorder to pull the latch 15 over and release the weight 10.

It is to be noted that one of the strands 35 is shown as passing throughuprights a0 and protected by plates or boards 41 in front so that itwill not be pulled or injured accidentally. throughout the construction,it is preferred to employ it. In this way it will be seen that apositive acting arrangement is secured not likely to be injured byaccident except by fire that will release the operating weight 10ELIIICl allow it to drop from its customary p acc.

Having described the method of releasing the operating weight 10, I willnow describe the etfects that it produces, incidentally describing themechanism illustrated.

The operating weight 10 is shown as pro vidcd with a grooved roll 50 atthe top. This engages a flexible connection in the form or" a cord,rope, wire, or chain 51 which Is preferably formed of a material not affected by fire. It will be noted that this not attached to the weight,but simply rests on grooved guides or rollers 52 on either side of theweight, and that the fall of the weight makes a loop in it and pulls theconnection along toward the weight from each side.

On this connection 51 are mounted fastening devices 53 which are locatednormally at a distance from brackets 54 which support the groovedrollers over which the connec tions pass. These brackets constitutestops for the holders 53 to limit their motion. When the connection 51moves toward the weight, the part to the right and will raise aplurality of strands 55 connected with it. Each of these in the formshown in Fig. l is connected witlra conical pin 56 arranged in verticalposition and located at the end of a strand.

his pin is connected with a cylinder 57 mounted in a tube 58 whichprotects the cable 55 and guides the cylinder 57. When in its normalposition it passes down through a hole 59 in a plate 60 which is locatedbe- Although this is not shown of it at the left will move tween twohorizontal plates 61 secured to the wall of the stall in any desired wayand preferably formed in one casting with a plate 62. They have holesfor. the passage of the pin 56, as indicated in Figs. 5, 6 and The plate60 also is provided with means for securing cattle or other stock. Whenthe above indicated action happens, the pin 56 is pulled out and theplate 60 releases so that the animal is free to pull away and get out ofthe stall.

In Fig. 11 I have shown a modification in which the strand 55 has awedge 90 at-the bottom normally entering a slot in a stationary rail 91of a stanchion 92. When it is lifted, it allows the left-half of thestanchion to be opened by the animal. The right-half works in theordinary way.

Another way in which the movement of this connection 51, as abovedescribed, can release stock is to open a door. For that purpose I haveshown a double door consisting of two parts 65 and. 66. The part 65 isadapted to have a lock and to be locked in any ordinary way, and thesetwo parts ordinarily act together as a single sliding door. The part 65is provided with two plates 67, each having a notch at 68. These platesare fixed to the door 65 removably. On the door 66 is a bent 1ever69pivoted at 70 and on its end is a rod 71 which is pivotally connectedwith two latches 72 pivoted at 73. Each of these latches has a tooth forfitting in the notch 68 as indicated in full lines in Fig. 8. A sprin 74is preferably provided for holding the parts in the locked positionindicated. The strand 51 has a wedge-shaped or conical pin 63 normallyhanging down and Wedging itself between two rolls 64. Over one of thesepasses a wire cable 75 having a weight 76 on one end and connected withthe lever 69 at the other.

As stated, in ordinary practice this double door is moved back and forthwithout any attention being 'paid to the latch construction, but whenthe strand 51 is raised, it releases the weight 76 and the lever 69 ispulled, thus raising the rod 71 and swinging the two latches 72 upwardlyon their pivots, thus releasing the door 66 from the locked door 65. Thecontinued descent of the weight 7 6 pulls on the lever 69 and draws thedoor 66 back so as to open it and leave a space between the two doors.Thus this constitutes another stock releasing device. After the weight10 is restored to its normal position, the only thing required toconnect the doors is to push them together as the weight 76 does notpull on the lever 69, but the spring 74 tends to hold the parts inlooking position. 7

The other end of the connection 51 is also designed to perform usefulfunctions. It is connected with the connection 77 which has a metalmember 78 upon it and a weight 79 at the bottom. This is connected withthe connection 51 in such a way that when the weight 10 moves down itwill allow the metal connector 78 to move down and elec trically connecttwo metal plates 80 which completes a circuit and rings a bell 81 whichmay be located in the barn or in the house at a distance, or at a firestation. Any other electrical alarm device can be substituted for thebell. A weight 82 is shown for normally holding the connection 51 taut.After being released so as to drop the weight is lifted back to normalposition in any desired Way and the latch caught under the rod 13.

I11 the form shown inFig. 9 I have provided a horizontal stock releasingdevice instead of a plurality of vertical ones. In this case theconnection 55 pulls a rod 85 to the left. This rod is provided with aseries or horizontal pins 86 which, on being pulled to the left, releaseplates .87 in all respects similar to the plates 60 except that they arearranged vertically instead of horizontally. In this case the weight 88is used for the same purpose as the weight 82.

It will be understood, of course, that the device can be employed torelease stock in other ways, toopen other doors, to turn on water from asprinkling system, or for any other purpose desirable in the case offire, and that the ones I have illustrated are shown mainly for thepurpose of indicating the utilities to which the apparatus can be put.But it will be seen that the device, whether used exactly in the wayindicated or not, is of a durable and practical nature having no partslikely to get out of order, and that I have avoided the common error ofhanging the operating weight in such a way as to constantly pull on thedevices to be operated, or on the destructible cord or the like.

AlthoughI have illustratedand described only two forms of the invention,I am aware of the fact that other modifications can be made therein byany person skilled in the art. without departing from the scope of theinvention as expressed in the claims. This invention is not restrictedto the specific form of door or destructible flexible connectionillustrated herein. Therefore I do not wish to be limited to all thedetails of construction herein shown and described, but what I do claimis- 1. In a device of the character described, the combination with anoperating weight, means constructed and adapted to be operated in caseof fire for releasing the weight movably connected thereto, and runningin opposite directions therefrom, whereby the descent of the weight willpull both ends of said connection lengthwise toward the weight or if oneend should fail to work will operate the other, and means operated bysaid connection for releasing stock.

2. In a stock releasing device, the combination of an operating weight,mechanical means for normally holding it in elevated inoperativeposition comprising a latch for releasing the rest of said means, aflexible non-combustible connection connected with the weight, meansoperable by the movement of said non-combustible connection when theweight descends for operating stock releasing devices, the first namedmeans comprising a pivoted bar on which the weight is adapted to restand the latch being pivoted in position with respect to the bottom ofthe weight so as to depend below the weight and having a horizontelsurface for receiving the free end of said bar, whereby when the latchis swung backw ardly the bar will be released, said latch having ahorizontal and a vertical arm, a flexible connection extendinghorizontally from the end of the vertical arm, and a flexible connectionextending vertically upward from the end of the horizontal arm, flexibleconnections being partly of a material destructible by heat running fromthe latch around the building adapted to release the latch when eitherof said connections parts, thus permitting said holding means to bereleased and the weight to drop.

3. In a stock releasing device, the combination of an operating weight,mechanical means for supporting said weight in elevated positioncomprising a latch, means arranged to be released in case of fire iormoving the latch to release said mechanical means and allow the weightto drop, aflexible noncombustible connection passing near the weight andextending in two directions from it, means connected with the upper partof the weight and projecting over said flexible connection for pullingthe connection down when the weight drops, and supports on each side ofthe weight for the flexible connection, whereby the dropping of theweight will draw both sides of said flexible connection toward eachother over said supports, and means operated by said connec tion forreleasing stock.

4. In a stock releasing device the combi nation with. an operatingweight, of mechanical means for normally supporting the weight inelevated inoperative position, a flexible connection connected with saidmeans and adapted to operate it, said flexible connection being partlyof a material destructible by heat and running from said means aroundthe building, whereby upon the parting of said flexible connection atany point the weight will be released and allowed to drop, a flexiblenon-combustible connection with which the weight is connected extendingacross the weight so as to provide two strands projecting in oppositedirections therefrom and connected with the weight whereby when theweight drops both strands of said non -combustible connection will bepulled toward the weight, means connected with one strand for releasingstock, and means connected with the other strand for giving an alarm.

5. In a device of thecharacter described, the combination of anoperating weight, means constructed and adapted to be released in caseof fire to let the weight drop, two guides over the weight located neareach other, a flexible connection for operating stock releasing devicespassing over the two guides, and means connected with the weightextending between said guides for engaglng the connection on theopposite side and normally leaving the connection straight be tween theguides whereby the descent of the weight will pull both ends of saidconnection lengthwise toward the weight by pulling said means and theconnection down between said guides.

6. In a stock releasing device, nation with an operating weight, ofmeans for normally supporting the weight in ele vated inoperativeposition, a flexible connection connected with said means and adapted tooperate it, part of said flexible connection being destructible by heat,two guides arranged near together, said connection passing between saidguides and having two strands extending in opposite directions, one overeach of said guides, a weight on the end of each strand,counterbalancing each other in inoperative position, and means forreleasing the weight connected with said connection, whereby upon theparting of either strand its weight will be disconnected "from thesystem and the other weight will be free to operate the weight releasingmeans.

7. In a stock releasing device, the combination with anoperating'weight, of means for normally supporting the weight in elevated inoperative position, a flexible connection comprising a pluralityof strands connected with said means and adapted to operate it, part ofsaid flexible connection being destructible by heat, a weight on the endof eachstrand counterbalancing each other in inoperative position, andmeans for releasing the'first named means and consequently the weightconnected with said connection whereby upon the parting of either strandthe other weight will be free to operate the weight releasing means.

8. In a stock releasing device, the combination with an operatingweight, of means for normally supporting the weight in elevatedinoperative position, a separate destructible flexible connectionconnected with said means and adapted to operate it, whereby upontheparting of said flexible connection the weight will be allowed todrop, a

the combifieXible noncombustible connection with means on the connectionfor giving an which the weight is connected but not supalarm, andcounterweights depending from 10 porting it, said noncombustibleconnection the ends of said connection and holding it projecting inopposite directions from the tent.

5 weight, whereby when the weight drops both In testimony whereof I havehereunto ends of said non-combustible connection will afiixed mysignature.

be pulled toward the weight, means on the last named connection forreleasing stock, JOHN HILL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

